If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

I am using mine with a 15 watts, single ended amp Wavac 801. Much better than a mac7270 or a JBL 6260.

Right, just about any very good quality amp will do within its power limitations. For my similar 4333A's I usually use a 60 wpc tube amp, but I almost always listen at pretty low levels, and I know I'm giving up a lot of the dynamics that the speaker is built for. Every once in a while I get a hair and hook up a 200 wpc solid state amp. I think if you want to get the most out of the speaker you use a high-power, high-current solid state amp if you can find one that also has the refinement you desire. The speaker will tell you about your amps.

Pioneer Amps

I currently power my set of L-300's with a Spec 1 & Spec 2. They sound very sweet. There may be better amps out there but these sound very good. Lots of watts to handle most anything. I dont think you will be disappointed.

If your looking for sweet highs and mids a tube amp will do fine. If you want that bass that JBL is known for it's best to have more power than not enough. I had a JBL 600, Aragon 4004 MKII and a Mcintosh 2255 hooked up to mine. They sang! I also had a Pioneer SX-1250 and a Sansui AU-919 hooked up top them and they were ok. If you want tubes to drive them It's my opinion that you'll have to go upwards of 100 watts. I like amps with &^$$s!

Yamaha made some pretty solid SS amps a few years ago. The pro sound models are used by a few forum members. I have two M-45 Yamahas that produce about 125 into 8 ohms and they work pretty good for me.

TUBE B or NOT TUBE B ~ That is the question

New member here....Do you want Quality or Quanity of sound? I use a pair of mono bloc DIY SET WE300B Amps ~ heavy power supply, custom output transformers and 50's WE tubes @ 7 watts output with my L300's. A MAGIC lifelike combination, superb imaging, the speakers disappear, just the instruments playing in there own space. Suggest 7 watts with L300's and my audiophile friends were ready to fit me with a straight jacket, UNTIL they came by to listen. The music has the breath of "Life" in it. It's hard to believe that a 7 watt single ended amp could be capable driving L300's, but i'm sure there are other members on this board that use SE amps. I also have Mac 30's & 60's ~ Heathkit W5-M's ~ Radio Craftsmen C-500's ~ Eico HF-14's ~ A pair of Williamson 807 Monoblocs ~ they all sound VERY good on the L300's, but they ALL sound different....and are no match for the SE 300B amps even in the bass! Now I also have a Adcom 5800 and a Dynaco 400 solid state amp....Sure they have more slam on the bottom and you can hear L300's on the next block when you crank it, but the magic is gone from the Music, and to me the Music is what it is all about. My L300's have been rewired with silver-copper Teflon wire, wire terminals replaced and all my crossover caps have been replaced with Rel-Cap Theta's (same values), a major upgrade in resolution.

BTW I also have a pair of Altec 19's ~ L-80t's ~ L-100ti's and a Hartsfield system im still working on.

Quality vs Quanity

Hi Rolf, I know where your coming from, been there, done that. I went thru the Threshold, Krell, phase with my JBL's, and for most on this forum SS Hi Power Amps will work fine. I too didn't believe in SE tube amps, until I (reluctantly) let my friend come over and demo his SE 300B amps on my L300's over 5 years ago, after that shootout it was goodbye Krell, Hello Single Ended.

As for a "realistic volume level" trying to fit the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at realistic volume levels into my 24 X 20 listening room.....well it just isn't happening no mater what kind of amp i'm using.

In my point of view, I try and create the exact vibrations in the air that was in the original recording session in my listening room at a comfortable level.

Powering L300

I have a Yamaha PC4002M amp powering my L300 speakers, the 420x2 watts give it plenty of headroom/slam and the low end is impressive with JBL 2235h woofers. JBL recommends 400 watts for the 2235h woofers. Like anything else it is a "compromise". I tried another Yamaha amp, MX2000 (130 watt x 2), the mids and highs seemed to be just slightly better but this may be due to the loss of the deep base that I had with the PC4002M. From the JBL tech sheet 300 wattsx2 is recommended for the 136a woofer model. All depends on what your looking for, I'm very happy with the results I get from the Yamaha PC4002M amp.

The reason I ask is because some twenty five years ago when I first listen to a set of L300ís they were being powered by Pioneers Spec 1 and Spec 2 with a Technics direct drive turntable, listening to Pink Floydís Dark Side of the Moon. This was back in 1979. I thought the sound was fantastic. In fact it blew my mind!

Since audio equipment has changed so much from those good old days. I just want to make sure I get the right equipment for the job. A lot of you recommend tube amps and to tell you the truth I have never dealt with tube amps. From what Iím reading they tend to give a much warmer sound to the midís.

But I must say I want to make this a simple setup. I have read that giving these babiesís a little power will really light them up, Probably what I remember when I heard them years ago. I have also read that replacing the aluminum diaphragm on the LE85 what phenolic diaphragms would get me the warm sound from the midís.